U.S. patent number 11,186,408 [Application Number 16/675,959] was granted by the patent office on 2021-11-30 for hanger for packaging assembly.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Otter Products, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Otter Products, LLC. Invention is credited to James V. Eyerman, Mark A. Giannasi, Timothy J. Lancaster.
United States Patent |
11,186,408 |
Giannasi , et al. |
November 30, 2021 |
Hanger for packaging assembly
Abstract
A packaging assembly for a product includes a tray for holding
the product, a sleeve for slidably receiving the tray, and a hanger
insertable into a slot in the sleeve. The hanger includes a spring
arm configured to exert a spring force between an inside surface of
the sleeve and the tray when the tray is in the sleeve to increase
a force required to remove the tray from the sleeve. The hanger
also provides a hang point for the packaging assembly.
Inventors: |
Giannasi; Mark A. (Fort
Collins, CO), Eyerman; James V. (Fort Collins, CO),
Lancaster; Timothy J. (Fort Collins, CO) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Otter Products, LLC |
Fort Collins |
CO |
US |
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Assignee: |
Otter Products, LLC (Fort
Collins, CO)
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Family
ID: |
1000005968104 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/675,959 |
Filed: |
November 6, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20200071020 A1 |
Mar 5, 2020 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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15676572 |
Aug 14, 2017 |
10507951 |
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62383857 |
Sep 6, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D
5/38 (20130101); B65D 9/08 (20130101); B65D
25/22 (20130101); B65D 25/54 (20130101); B65D
7/10 (20130101); B65D 11/12 (20130101); B65D
5/4208 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65D
6/06 (20060101); B65D 5/38 (20060101); B65D
25/22 (20060101); B65D 25/54 (20060101); B65D
5/42 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;220/8 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Anderson; Don M
Assistant Examiner: Poos; Madison L
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 15/676,572, filed Aug. 14, 2017, which claims priority to U.S.
Provisional Patent Application 62/383,857, filed Sep. 6, 2016, the
disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by references in their
entireties.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A packaging assembly configured for use with a product, the
packaging assembly comprising: a tray including a plurality of
sides bounding a cavity configured for receiving the product; a
sleeve including a front surface, a back surface, and a plurality
of side walls extending from the front surface to the back surface,
wherein the sleeve includes an opening for slidably receiving the
tray, and wherein a slot extends through one of the plurality of
the side walls of the sleeve; and a spring loaded hanger configured
to be inserted into the slot in the sleeve from an interior of the
sleeve, the spring loaded hanger including: a lip having a
dimension greater than a width of the slot in the sleeve, the lip
configured to contact an inner surface of the one of the side walls
when the spring loaded hanger is inserted into the slot to prevent
the hanger from passing completely through the slot; a hang point
configured for hanging the packaging assembly from a peg; and a
plurality of spring arms each configured to compress between the
inner surface of the one of the side walls of the sleeve and one of
the sides of the tray when the tray is in the sleeve, the
compression deforming the spring arms and providing spring forces
against the sleeve and the inserted tray to increase friction
resisting removal of the tray from the sleeve.
2. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein each spring arm
includes a substantially curved shape.
3. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein each spring arm has a
substantially angled shape.
4. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of
the sleeve is transparent.
5. The packaging assembly of claim 1, wherein the spring loaded
hanger further includes a retention feature configured to catch on
an edge of the slot of the sleeve such that the hanger does not
readily fall out of the slot when the tray is removed from the
sleeve.
6. The packaging assembly of claim 5, wherein the retention feature
is selected from one or more of a tab, a lip, a recess, a slot, a
protrusion, and a notch.
7. A packaging assembly adapted for use with a product, the
packaging assembly comprising: a tray adapted for holding the
product; a sleeve adapted for slidably receiving the tray, wherein
the product is contained in the tray and inside the sleeve when the
tray is in the sleeve, the sleeve having a slot; and a hanger
insertable into the slot from an interior of the sleeve, wherein
the hanger includes a hang point adapted to extend through the
slot, and wherein the hanger includes at least one spring arm
adapted to exert a spring force between the tray and an inside
surface of the sleeve when the tray is in the sleeve to increase a
force necessary to remove the tray from the sleeve.
8. The packaging assembly of claim 7, wherein the hanger includes a
plurality of spring arms exerting a spring force between the tray
and the inside surface of the sleeve.
9. The packaging assembly of claim 8, wherein the plurality of
spring arms are adapted to compress between an inside wall surface
of a side wall of the sleeve and a side wall of the tray, the
compression deforming the spring arms and providing the spring
force.
10. The packaging assembly of claim 8, wherein each spring arm
includes a tray contact portion adapted for contacting a portion of
the received tray and a sleeve contact portion adapted for
contacting a portion of the sleeve.
11. The packaging assembly of claim 10, wherein the tray contact
portion is adapted to contact a side wall of the tray and the
sleeve contact portion is adapted to contact an inner wall surface
of a side wall of the sleeve.
12. The packaging assembly of claim 8, wherein each spring arm has
a generally curved shape.
13. The packaging assembly of claim 8, wherein each spring arm has
a generally angled shape.
14. The packaging assembly of claim 7, wherein the hanger includes
a lip having a dimension greater than a width of the slot, the lip
adapted to contact an inner surface of a wall of the sleeve to
prevent the hanger from passing entirely through the slot.
15. The packaging assembly of claim 7, wherein the tray includes a
cavity adapted for containing the product, the cavity bounded by a
back wall and a plurality of side walls.
16. The packaging assembly of claim 7, wherein the hanger further
includes a retention feature adapted to catch on an edge of the
slot of the sleeve such that the hanger does not readily fall out
of the slot when the tray is removed from the sleeve.
17. A hanger configured to be received in a packaging assembly, the
packaging assembly having a sleeve that slidably receives a tray,
the hanger comprising: a hang point configured for suspending the
packaging assembly from a peg when the hanger is received in the
packaging assembly; a lip configured to support the sleeve of the
packaging assembly when the hanger is received in the packaging
assembly through a slot in the sleeve; and a plurality of spring
arms, each spring arm configured to compress between an inside
surface of a side wall of the sleeve and a corresponding side wall
of the tray when the hanger is received in the packaging assembly
and the tray is in the sleeve, the compression of each spring arm
temporarily deforming the spring arm and increasing friction to
resist removal of the tray from the sleeve.
18. The hanger of claim 17 further including a retention feature
configured to catch on an edge of the slot of the sleeve such that
the hanger does not readily fall out of the slot when the tray is
not in the sleeve.
19. The hanger of claim 17, wherein each spring arm includes a
curved portion extending from the lip down to a tray contact
portion and up to a sleeve contact portion.
20. The hanger of claim 19 wherein the curved portion of each of
the spring arms is at least partially flattened when the tray is in
the sleeve.
Description
BACKGROUND
Many products are sold in packaging which can be repeatedly opened
and/or closed while not damaging the packaging and without
requiring significant effort or other supplies to re-close the
package. In many retail environments, it is desirable to have
packages which easily open to allow customers to see the product,
touch the product, inspect the product, and/or temporarily remove
the product from the package before making a purchase decision. At
the same time, it is also desirable to be able to easily return the
product to the package and easily return the package and product to
its original state for potential viewing, handling, and/or purchase
by other customers. It is also often desirable to hang product
and/or packages on pegs or posts for good visibility and/or easy
access by customers and/or store employees. An improved product
package is disclosed herein.
SUMMARY
In one example, a packaging assembly for a product includes a tray,
a sleeve, and a hanger. The tray is for holding, storing,
containing, and/or displaying the product. The sleeve slidably
receives the tray such that the product is contained inside the
sleeve and the tray when the tray is in the sleeve. The hanger is
insertable into a slot of the sleeve such that the hanger exerts a
spring force between an inside surface of the sleeve and the tray
when the tray is in the sleeve. The spring force increases a force
required to remove the tray from the sleeve. The hanger also
provides a hang point for the packaging assembly.
In another example, a packaging assembly for a product includes a
tray comprising a plurality of sides bounding a cavity for
receiving the product; a sleeve comprising a front wall, a back
wall attached to the front wall by a plurality of side walls, a
slot extending through one of the plurality of sidewalls, and an
opening for slidably receiving the tray; and a spring loaded hanger
configured to be inserted in the slot in the sleeve. The spring
loaded hanger includes a hang point for the packaging assembly; a
lip having a dimension greater than a width of the slot, the lip
contacting an inner surface of a wall of the sleeve to prevent the
hanger from passing completely through the slot; and a plurality of
spring arms, each spring arm configured to compress between an
inside wall surface of a side wall of the sleeve and a side wall of
the tray, the compression deforming the spring arms and providing a
spring force to provide friction or static friction between the
tray and sleeve to resist the removal of the tray from the
sleeve.
In still another example, a spring loaded hanger for a packaging
assembly includes a lip having a dimension greater than a width of
the slot, the lip contacting an inner surface of a wall of the
sleeve to prevent the hanger from passing completely through the
slot; and a plurality of spring arms, each spring arm configured to
compress between an inside wall surface of a side wall of the
sleeve and a side wall of the tray, the compression deforming the
spring arms and providing a spring force to provide friction or
static friction between the tray and sleeve to resist the removal
of the tray from the sleeve.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates packaging for a product;
FIG. 2A illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a spring loaded
hanger;
FIG. 2B illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a spring loaded
hanger;
FIG. 2C illustrates still another exemplary embodiment of a spring
loaded hanger;
FIG. 3 illustrates a packaging assembly with a spring loaded hanger
installed; and
FIG. 4 illustrates a close up view of a spring arm of several
spring loaded hangers of FIG. 2A having different dimensions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Products are often displayed or presented to customers in packaging
that allows customers and/or store employees to easily remove the
product from the packaging. The product may be removed to see the
product, feel the product, inspect the product, and/or check
whether the product is compatible with another item. It is
desirable to be able to easily and quickly return the product to
the packaging and returning the packaging to its original state
such that it is available for other customers and appears unused
and/or unopened. It is also desirable to have packages or packaging
which can hang on pegs or posts in order to make the product(s)
visible to customers or store employees and/or to make them easy to
find by customers or store employees.
In one example, an accessory for an electronic device, such as a
case for a smartphone, may be sold in packaging. It may be
desirable to easily remove the accessory from the packaging in a
retail environment while still making it easy to return the product
to the packaging and its original state for potential inspection or
purchase by another customer. It may be desirable to remove the
accessory to check compatibility with the electronic device,
inspect its color or texture, or otherwise evaluate the accessory.
Many other examples of products and packaging configurations are
possible and the techniques introduced herein are not to be limited
to any particular type of product, packaging, product, or use.
While making packaging easy to open and close and easy to
repeatedly open and close is desirable, packaging which comes open
too easily can also be problematic, particularly during shipping.
Packaging may inadvertently open, full or partially, during
shipping. Packaging which relies on friction fits can be
convenient, but can be susceptible to these issues. Despite the
convenience, packaging which relies on friction fits often has
tighter manufacturing tolerances to achieve the right level of
friction and, therefore, ends up being more expensive and/or
difficult to produce. A packaging assembly is disclosed herein
which is easy to repeatedly open and close while also reducing the
tolerance requirements and providing a hang tag or hang point.
FIG. 1 illustrates packaging 100 for a product. Packaging 100
includes sleeve 110 and tray 120. Sleeve 110 and/or tray 120 may be
made of any suitable product including cardboard, corrugated
cardboard, fiberboard, compressed paper, compressed fiber,
processed pulp, recycled materials, plastic, polyethylene
terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethelene (HDPE), polyvinyl
chloride (PVC), low-density polyethelene (LDPE), polypropylene
(PP), polystyrene (PS), metal, wood, and/or any other suitable
packaging material, including combinations thereof.
Tray 120 has a cavity or open area 122 for containing a product or
a plurality of products. Cavity 122 is illustratively bounded by
side walls 124 and back wall 126 of tray 120. In other exemplary
embodiments, tray 120 may include only side walls 124, or tray 120
may include side walls 124, back wall 126, and a front wall (not
shown) opposite back wall 126.
Sleeve 110 may also be described as an envelope or sheath and
contains tray 120 when tray 120 is inserted into sleeve 110. When
tray 120 is in sleeve 110, cavity 122 is enclosed such that the
product(s) are contained inside package 100 when it is closed. Tray
120 may include other features for holding the product(s) in place,
such as a tray or insert, inside packaging 100.
Sleeve 110 illustratively includes a plurality of side walls 114, a
front wall 118, and a back wall 119. Sleeve 110 further includes an
opening 116 into which tray 120 can be received. Although
illustrated as an opening 116 along a left side wall of sleeve 110,
in other embodiments, sleeve 110 may include a first opening 116
along a first side wall of sleeve 110, and a second opening (not
shown) along a second side wall of sleeve 110 opposite the first
opening 116. Moreover, although opening 116 is illustrated as
defining the entirety of the right side wall of sleeve 110, in
other embodiments (not shown) opening 116 may define only a portion
of the side wall of sleeve 114, or the opening may extend at least
partially into the top and/or bottom side wall 114 of sleeve
110.
Sleeve 110 also includes a slot or opening 112 along one side wall
114A in which a spring loaded hanger (see FIG. 3) may be inserted.
Wall 124A of tray 120 is positioned proximate side wall 114A of
sleeve 110 when tray 120 is inserted into sleeve 110.
Sleeve 110 may also be transparent or contain transparent portions
so at least a portion of the product(s) are visible while inside
the packaging. As illustrated in FIG. 1, at least a portion of the
front side wall 118 and side wall 114 may include a transparent
portion. However, it may still be desirable to easily open and
close packaging 100 to access the product(s), particularly in a
retail environment. This can be accomplished by sliding tray 120
out of sleeve 110 (as indicated by the arrow A), partially or
fully. The slide fit between tray 120 and sleeve 110 must be
sufficiently loose to allow tray 120 to be easily slid in and out
of sleeve 110. At the same time, it cannot be too loose or tray 120
may inadvertently come out of sleeve 110, such as during shipping
or handling. While sufficiently maintaining the tolerances
necessary to achieve the right level of friction may be possible,
tighter or smaller tolerances typically increase costs, reduce
manufacturing throughput, increase tool complexity, and/or increase
waste. Therefore, it is desirable to have packaging which has a
desirable amount of slide friction between tray 120 and sleeve 110
while also having relaxed tolerances for the components, and
without increasing cost, and/or increasing these other undesirable
characteristics of tighter manufacturing tolerances.
FIGS. 2A-2C illustrate several exemplary spring loaded hangers
240A, 240B, and 240C for use with packaging 100. Spring loaded
hangers 240A, 240B, and 240C include several similar components,
and similar numbering will be used to refer to similar parts
between each spring loaded hanger 240. Each spring loaded hanger
240A, 240B, and 240C may be made of any material, or combination of
materials, that is flexible and has sufficient springing
characteristics, such as plastic or metal.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, spring loaded hanger 240 is inserted
through slot 112 of sleeve 110, but does not go all the way through
slot 112 as it is stopped by lip 254. Lip 254 may be any type of
lip, ledge, shelf, tab, post, and/or arm that prevents spring
loaded hanger 240 from sliding all the way through slot 112. As
illustrated in FIG. 3, lip 254 is wider than slot 112 and contacts
an inner surface of wall 114A on a front and back side of slot 112,
preventing spring loaded hanger 240 from passing through slot
112.
Referring next to FIGS. 2A-2C, each spring loaded hanger 240A,
240B, 240C also includes a hang point 250 extending from lip 254
for hanging on a peg, post, arm, or other storage or display
mechanism. Hang point 250 illustratively includes an aperture 251
through which a peg, post, arm, or similar display mechanism may be
placed to support packaging 100 in a hanging display configuration.
As illustrated, aperture 251 may be generally triangular shaped,
although other suitable shapes may also be used. Spring loaded
hanger 240 may have other shapes and/or configurations. Hang point
250 may include other features for hanging or attaching packaging
100.
Each spring loaded hanger 240 also includes one or more spring arms
252 configured flex when force is applied. Each spring arm 252
includes a tray contact portion 256 and a sleeve contact portion
258. In the exemplary embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2C, each
spring arm 252 extends downward from lip 254 to tray contact
portion 256. Each spring arm 252 further extends upward from the
tray contact portion 256 to the sleeve contact portion 258.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, when spring loaded hanger 240 is inserted
into sleeve 110 and tray 120 is inserted into sleeve 110, spring
arms 252 are compressed between an inside wall surface of wall 114A
of sleeve 110 and corresponding side wall 124A of tray 120. In
particular, the tray contact portion 256 contacts the side wall
124A of tray 120 and the sleeve contact portion 258 contacts the
inside wall surface of wall 114A of sleeve 110. This compression
results in a deformation of spring arms 252 and a spring force
being applied between wall 124 and sleeve 110 by spring arms 252
which increases the friction, or static friction, between them and
holds tray 120 in place inside sleeve 110. This reduces the
likelihood of tray 120 inadvertently sliding out of sleeve 110
during shipping or handing without requiring the more precise
dimensional tolerances between tray 120 and sleeve 110 which would
be necessary without the use of spring loaded hanger 240 and/or
spring arms 252. When the tray 120 is removed, the spring arms 252
are no longer compressed and each spring arm 252 can return to its
original configuration.
Referring to FIG. 2A, a first spring loaded hanger 240A is
illustrated that includes curved spring arms 252A configured to
flex when force is applied to each spring arm 252A. The curvature
of spring arm 252A provides the benefit of the spring force and
deflection discussed herein, but also provides a smooth and/or
gradual surface to meet an edge 124A of tray 120 when tray 120 is
inserted to reduce the possibility of catching or snagging. FIG. 4
illustrates a close up view of spring arm 252A of several
overlapping spring loaded hanger 240A. The curvature of each spring
arm 252A is different to provide a different horizontal distance d
between the different tray contact portion 256A, 256B, and 256C and
a common sleeve contact portion 258. The different distances d
illustrated in FIG. 4 providing for different spring forces for
each spring arm 252A.
Referring to FIG. 2B, a second spring loaded hanger 240B is
illustrated that includes angled spring arms 252B configured to
flex when force is applied to each spring arm 252B. Spring arm 252B
extends in a generally straight line downward from lip 254 to tray
contact portion 256, where it changes direction and extends in a
generally straight line upward to the sleeve contact portion 258.
The upward slope of spring arm 252B provides a generally flat
surface to contact side 124A of tray 120 when tray 120 is inserted
to reduce the possibility of catching or snagging.
Referring to FIG. 2C, a third spring loaded hanger 240C is
illustrated. Spring loaded hanger 240C is similar to spring loaded
hanger 240C but includes a differently shaped aperture 251A.
Referring again to FIG. 3, the compression or deflection of spring
arms 252 between tray 120 and sleeve 110 allow the fit requirements
between tray 120 and sleeve 110 to be relaxed or reduced while
still providing a sufficient friction fit between them such that
the packaging can be easily opened, but not so loose as to increase
likelihood of inadvertent opening due to shipping, handling, and/or
vibration. In other words, spring arms 252 create friction to more
reliably keep tray 120 in sleeve 110 even though the dimensions of
tray 120 may be reduced and/or the tolerances associated with tray
120 and/or sleeve 110 may be relaxed. The extra space associated
with the dimensional reductions and/or tolerance relaxation is
accommodated by the springing and/or flexing characteristics of the
spring arms which accommodate any additional space and/or
variations.
It should be understood that more or fewer spring arms are
possible. It should also be understood that other spring arm shapes
are possible. It should further be understood that many spring arms
shapes, curvatures, thickness, cross sections, and/or materials may
be possible to achieve varying levels of travel, deflection, and/or
spring force. Varying the levels of travel, deflection, and/or
spring force may be desirable depending on the type of packaging,
the size of the packaging, the type or weight of product(s) inside
the packaging, shipping environments or conditions, and/or a
desired range of opening force.
Spring loaded hanger 240 may also include one or more retention
features 259. Retention features 259 may include one or more of a
tab, lip, recess, slot, protrusion, and/or notch which catches on
an edge of slot 112 of sleeve 110 such that spring loaded hanger
240 does not readily fall out of or come out of slot 112 when tray
120 is removed from sleeve 110. In other words, the dimensions of
spring loaded hanger 240 relative to those of slot 112 may be such
that spring loaded hanger can relatively easily be pushed through
slot 112 during installation but tight enough such that it catches
in notches, such as retention features 259, and does not come out
easily due to gravity. In this way spring loaded hanger 240 will
remain in place in sleeve 110 even if tray 120 is removed,
permanently and/or temporarily.
In some situations, different spring loaded hangers and/or spring
loaded hangers with different spring arms may be selected based on
the type of packaging and/or the type or weight of the product
being placed in the packaging. In other situations, different
spring loaded hangers and/or spring loaded hangers with different
spring arms may be selected based on the type of retail
environment, the type of shipping, and/or the expected shipping
distance. It should also be understood that the springing features
and deflection characteristics of the spring arms described herein
may be implemented and utilized without necessarily including the
hanging feature or the function of hang point 250.
The elements, components, and steps described herein are meant to
exemplify some types of possibilities. In no way should the
aforementioned examples limit the scope of the invention, as they
are only exemplary embodiments.
The phrases "in some embodiments," "according to some embodiments,"
"in the embodiments shown," "in other embodiments," "in some
examples," "in other examples," "in some cases," "in some
situations," "in one configuration," "in another configuration,"
and the like generally mean that the particular technique, feature,
structure, or characteristic following the phrase is included in at
least one embodiment of the present invention and/or may be
included in more than one embodiment of the present invention. In
addition, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same
embodiments or to different embodiments.
The foregoing disclosure has been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. Other modifications and variations of
the disclosed techniques may be possible in view of the above
teachings. The embodiments described in the foregoing disclosure
were chosen to explain the principles of the concept and its
practical application to enable others skilled in the art to best
utilize the invention. It is intended that the claims be construed
to include other alternative embodiments of the invention, except
as limited by the prior art.
* * * * *